Organise and qualify a source-based argument
Turn a position and selected evidence into a coherent essay with clear paragraph logic and accurate source use.
Section P2-A · Argumentative essay
Exam scope and assessment notes
These original lessons support study of the official syllabus; they are not Cambridge materials. Practice is self-checked and does not award Cambridge marks or grades. Extended writing and analytical essays need qualified subject-teacher review. Full timed papers and examiner-marked learner responses are not provided here. Interpret language choices in context and qualify claims about audience response.
Before you begin
Work on paper. Try each question before revealing help, and explain why your method works.
Quick readiness check
Which revision makes a survey claim more accurate?
What you will learn
- Plan a line of argument before drafting.
- Use topic sentences and discourse markers to guide the reader.
- Revise for precision, balance and coherence.
Build a line of reasoning
A compact plan can include a position, two reasons supported by selected details, an opposing view and a conclusion that follows from the evidence. Paragraphs develop claims: state a point, integrate evidence, explain relevance and connect it to the question.
Discourse markers show relationships such as contrast or consequence, but they cannot substitute for reasoning. Avoid repeating one claim in every paragraph; each point should advance or qualify the argument.
Match claim strength to evidence
Use verbs that fit the source: it may report, suggest or show a pattern within a sample. Distinguish opinion from measured result. If sources conflict, compare their samples, definitions and methods before weighing them.
Revise both sentence and whole-text levels. Remove repeated points, check each paragraph answers the question, and ensure the conclusion resolves the line of reasoning rather than adding an unsupported claim.
Sources for this lesson
Pause and explain
What should the conclusion do?
Worked example
Improve: 'The chart proves every student needs later buses.'
Show the worked solution
- Limit the evidence to what the chart displays.
- Replace 'proves' with a verb matched to the data.
- State an implication and a limitation.
Answer The chart suggests that recorded demand for later buses increased during the period shown. It supports considering a trial, but does not establish that every student needs one or explain the increase.
Try a topic test
Choose Easy, Normal or Difficult. Save your answers and open worked review after finishing.
Test this topic →From guided practice to a new situation
Write your answer and reasoning first. Use a hint only if you are stuck. The model solution is for self-checking; your written work is not automatically marked.
Write a topic sentence for a paragraph supporting a school garden using a source that reports high participation.
Give me a hint
Connect participation to a reason, without assuming it proves academic improvement.
Compare my reasoning
- State the reason for continuing the garden.
- Interpret participation within the source's scope.
- Avoid claiming an outcome the source did not measure.
The reported participation gives the school a reason to continue the garden because many students are choosing to take part; the school should still assess what they learn and whether access is fair.
Look for these in your work
- Clear claim
- Careful use of evidence
- Qualified implication
A draft has three paragraphs repeating that a later start improves focus and no counterargument. Give a revision plan.
Give me a hint
Combine repeated reasoning and use the space for a relevant concern.
Compare my reasoning
- Keep the paragraph with the strongest distinct evidence.
- Merge or remove repeated claims while preserving unique support.
- Address a source-backed counterpoint such as transport or family schedules.
Keep the paragraph with the clearest evidence and merge any distinct support from the others. Remove repeated claims, then address a fair concern about transport or family schedules and explain whether the proposal responds to it.
Look for these in your work
- Reduces repetition
- Preserves useful evidence
- Adds a relevant counterpoint
Revise: 'The survey proves later opening is needed by all.' The survey sampled 40 library users.
Give me a hint
Limit the claim to the respondents and separate evidence from policy judgment.
Compare my reasoning
- Replace 'proves' with a cautious verb.
- Name the surveyed group.
- Identify other considerations for a policy decision.
The survey suggests later opening may meet the needs of some of the 40 library users who responded. A wider decision should also consider non-users, staffing costs and access patterns.
Look for these in your work
- Qualifies the claim
- Avoids overgeneralising
- Adds relevant criteria
Common mistakes
- Using signposts without a logical connection
- Overstating what a source can establish
- Repeating a claim instead of developing it
What can you explain now?
What makes evidence relevant to a paragraph?
Compare with the explanation
The writer explains how it supports that paragraph's claim
Evidence needs reasoning that connects it to the issue.
After trying it yourself, choose your next review. This is your self-assessment.
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Make it stick
How do you revise a paragraph so the evidence supports rather than merely follows the claim?
If you needed the solution, close it and solve the problem again from a blank page. A correct answer is stronger when you can explain the reason for each step.